It started out as "I don't want anything. People can just come to my office and say goodbye. I may even make them a coffee." Well, that didn't sit well with a lot of people. "Oh no, you have been here too long. You have to give people a chance to say goodbye to you." So, I thought, "fine, I appreciate food, not the sweet stuff that is always served with these parties, so let's have a pot luck on May 1, Labour Day in Europe." I told the Library Director about this and she liked the idea. And so a plan started. As luck had it, May 1 was also the day that Huron's faculty had set aside for their retreat. A serious problem, since this was the group that protested the loudest about the lack of a party. I, in my innocence said: "Fine, let's have my party on the second of May." And at that point the planner of said retreat said "We can't do that. Moving a retirement party day is an insult to the person and staff of which she is a part. We will make this happen." Would I really have been this mad?
And he did make it happen. Since I wanted real food and no sweet stuff, and faculty goes somewhere for lunch when they have their retreat, the plan was hatched to organize a lunch for everybody, faculty and staff, and some guests of mine, in the library commons. It was amazing. The food was good and everybody had a good time. The library was decorated as if somebody was retiring with an interest in some nautical stuff or so. Here some pictures of a very memorable day. And thank you Andrea and Melanie for putting all this together, and thank you Neil for insisting on keeping my May 1 day.
Guilty as charged, whatever you charge us with, but we all had a good time at Huron!
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